Hi everyone. I’m not a Christian, but I became one of my own accord when I was 15. I didn’t get baptized but I fully put my faith in Christ. However, over time I fell down a rabbit hole and eventually came to find myself unable to feel guilt for sins. I think at some point I felt guilt for sins, but I can’t really remember, as I hadn’t realized that guilt for winning was a requirement for repentance. Eventually, I fell out of the faith and became an atheist. However, I’ve always had a fear of hell, and I think that’s the only reason why I’m coming to this forum, rather than guilt for sins, though I know this is not enough for true repentance. I know a genuine and heartfelt disdain for sins is a sign of the holy spirit dwelling in you, since I’m an apostate, it would seem that I’m beyond being given a second chance for salvation, according to Hebrews 6. I made a very foolish decision years ago (I’m 22 now), and now I just want honesty regarding my situation. Can I pray and receive forgiveness, or am I too far gone?

Thanks for any guidance you can share

Macron called an election in France (30th June - 7th July) after being soundly defeated by the populist right in the European elections. Most commentators are a little bemused and confused as to his reasoning on this as it is unlikely that his centrist party will benefit much and it is very likely that the hard right will grow their presence instead. At the moment he cannot get anything through the French parliament and it is unlikely that he will be able to afterward either. Current poling indicates that the hard left and hard right will dominate the new parliament with Macron's alliance of centrist parties marginalized.


1) Is this the end of the Fifth French Republic - its institutions and old party structures shattered beyond repair and a new extremist debate between commies and fascists now takes its place. Is the new reality a sclerotic economy married to unrealistic expectations and political paralysis regarding wise decision-making and action plans?

2) What will this mean for Europe? With the shift to the right in European electorates in all the large EU countries of Germany, Italy and France the dissatisfaction with the European project is being openly expressed. This at a time when external issues and threats e.g. Ukraine, Chinese trade policy, and the scramble for energy sources are threatening the peace and prosperity of Europe.

3) Is this a passing phase in French politics that France just needs to work through its system or something more sinister? Maybe this question contradicts number one. But the only way that Macron's strategy makes any sense is with a view to the longer term. If the French elect the extreme parties now while there is still a moderate president in charge will they be heartedly sick of the paralysis and infighting in parliament by the time the presidential elections come along? If so could this be a preamble to a big shift to the center then? Let the extremists kill each other in a divided parliament and then swoop in to save the day when it matters is the strategy here.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone. I have a question, and I get the impression that this is a sensitive topic, since I can't get an answer from anyone. And nothing comes up in a google search. Probably some time in the early '90s, Kevin Thomson had a back injury that paralyzed him. No one ever says what the injury was. I just find it very strange that no one explains what happened, and I find it hard to believe that such an accident could be somehow 'personal.'

Does anyone know how Kevin injured his back? If he fell off the roof of his house, do you know what he was doing? Roof repairs? Why would this be 'sensitive,' and secret?

I'm looking for some instructional resource that compares and contrasts the Lutheran Divine Liturgy to the EO Byzantine Rite one , step by step; particularly Lochner vs Chrysostom / Basil liturgy

A prominent megachurch pastor is calling on all Americans to follow in the footsteps of the state of Tennessee by participating in a month of prayer and fasting.

During a sermon delivered on Sunday at the California-based megachurch Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, Pastor Jack Hibbs shared with the congregation that Tennessee's Republican Gov. Bill Lee had approved a resolution urging the state's residents to pray for the state and the nation during the month of July, and to “seek God’s hand of mercy [and] healing on Tennessee.”

Hibbs then shared a screenshot of a LifeSite news article reporting that Lee had signed the bill calling for 30 days of prayer and fasting beginning July 1.

Journalist Julian Assange Is A Free Man!

NBCNEWS​

Julian Assange leaves jail on his way to enter plea deal with the U.S.​

June 24, 2024

The Mark of the Beast
And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark— the name of the beast or the number of its name. Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.…



What is this Mark 666 the number of a man ?

Is it a chip ?
Is it a mobile phone ?
Is it a DNA change i.e the Blood ?

DNA is composed of 6 protons, 6 electrons and 6 neutrons, which equates to 666.


Or is it something spiritual ?

I just got done reading (listening) through the book of Job. I have some thoughts and wanted to get the feedback of others. I know there is another thread right now on Job here, but I didn't want to hijack the direction taken there.

Here is my take on Job.

• Job's understanding of the world is that:
  • God is all powerful, and that everything that happens is directly in accordance to God's wishes.
  • God rewards the good and punishes the evil
  • That he, Job, has lived a good life and is therefore deserving of reward.
• Job is then struck by disaster and loss, and he is confronted with making sense of everything. His world model doesn't compute, the logic of his understanding doesn't fit.
• Job's friends try to solve the problem by accusing him of wrong doing.
• Job tries to solve the problem by blaming God for being unjust.
• We, the audience, have extra knowledge that Job's suffering took place because of a conflict initiated by Satan.
• In the end, God shows up and demonstrates that the universe is a complicated place and Job has very little understanding of it. Job acknowledges his ignorance and God forgives him.

Question:

• Job is often portrayed as righteous because he suffered "unjust" misery and kept his faith in God. But wasn't he wrong when he says "The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me." (Job 6:4)? Job thought that God was the only actor in the scene. "When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?"

KT

Ive been looking back at alot of the things I used to do as a kid and am realizing that alot of them weren't proper. For example, I used to have a specific prayer I had to pray, and it wouldnt be answered till I prayed it perfectly. That...that doesnt sound like God...at the time I didnt know better but now im like...hm...don't see this in the bible. Anyone want to weigh in?

I just found this video, it may be the ball-lightning phenomenon on camera! I have never seen anything like this This is freaky! Link to the video is here if you want to have a look:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=463743376062145

Biden had a horrible night Thursday. But the debate about the debate is misplaced. The only person who should withdraw from the race is Trump.

"Trump told more than 30 lies during the debate to go with the more than 30,000 mistruths told during his four years as president. He dodged the CNN moderators’ questions, took no responsibility for his actions, and blamed others, mainly Biden, for everything that is wrong in the world."

I concur.

Snopes​

Did Ashley Biden Call Childhood Showers with Her Father 'Probably Inappropriate' in Leaked Diary?​

​

"I will forever have to deal with the fact that my personal journal can be viewed online," Ashley Biden wrote to a district court judge.​

​

Alex Kasprak​

Published Dec. 7, 2022​

Updated May 14, 2024


True
About this rating

Note: On April 29, 2024, Snopes changed the rating of this fact check from "Unproven" to "True" based on testimony provided by Ashley Biden. In an April 8 letter to a New York judge requesting jail time for one of the two people convicted of stealing her diary, Biden wrote, "I will forever have to deal with the fact that my personal journal can be viewed online."

Previous versions of this fact check noted "strong evidence" that the diary existed, but argued that no source had authenticated the contents of the pages published online, writing that "the authenticity of photographs purported to be from a diary is a separate question from the factual existence of a diary."

I don't know if this is the right place to post. But I've been working with this Christian at my job in the beginning we were getting to know each other. I found out he was a Christian so as we talked further. I told him could he pray for me so he prayed with me about better opportunities that was about 2 years ago.

So recently I asked him hey can you pray for me I need a new job and he said you can't tell me that. So not to long ago I got a job interview and I ask him if he could pray that my job interview goes well. He said you can't tell me about interviews-- that puts him in a weird spot. How so? I'm just asking for prayer our job has no policy against discussing interviews for other jobs because people quit leave all the time. I asked why are you going to get in trouble with the boss he said no

Revelation 3:

16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

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Jesus addressed the nominal Christians. It was a warning. Take heed. Get serious. The context points to the Church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1). I do not have an operational definition of lukewarm. I leave it to the conscience of the individual believers to decide for themselves whether they are lukewarm Christians or not.

Luke 12:

47“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.

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That's one kind of lukewarm Christian.

48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.

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That's another.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

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Lukewarm Christians will be punished, some more and some less. Get busy and active in the will of God.

See How not to be lukewarm.

To get some idea of how far our political discourse and civility has fallen, I watched the 2nd Presidential debate between Walter Mondale and Ronald Reagan in 1984. Of note:
1) The entire debate (nearly 90 minutes) was dedicated to foreign policy. I believe an earlier debate focussed on domestic issues.
2) Each candidate was respectful and for the most part, addressed the question asked.
3) Mondale was clearly attempting to highlight Reagan's age weakness and his grasp of the facts. Yet he did so in civil manner....and at one point, Regan cracked a joke about his age.


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Colossians 3:3 (NASB20)
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The foundation of the faith is put forth in the above scripture, for once seen that it is indeed true, this truth opens up one’s relationship with Christ….. For it is self that keeps one from Christ, seeing that self has indeed been taken care of by the cross of Christ itself, this blessed truth becomes the foundation of all things….. For Christ did indeed die on the cross to fulfill the law concerning man, He did this by taking every man to death with Him… This is the faith Paul speaks of when He said ‘I have finished my course, I have kept the faith’…. Through all the things he went through he kept believing it was ‘no longer he that lived but Christ that lived in him’…..

For keeping this faith is that faith that causes the free gift of Christ’s life to grow and be formed in one…. This faith that is the all of everything, this faith that will do everything that is required to turn a sinner into a saint, this most blessed faith that was given once onto man….

Blessed indeed are they that grab onto this faith in the time of this life to grow in them that which is necessary to receive the abundant welcome into the next… For this life is only to prepare one for the next, blessed are they that see into this truth…..


A fellow believer, Not me

The Supreme Court of Texas ruled Friday in favor of Dianne Hensley, a justice of the peace in Waco reprimanded for not performing same-sex weddings, reinstating her lawsuit against the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

The commission had previously issued a public warning for her refusal to officiate same-sex weddings, citing a violation of judicial impartiality based on sexual orientation.

In an 8-1 decision, the court found that Hensley's decision not to appeal the commission's warning to a Special Court of Review before filing a lawsuit in civil court does not prevent her from pursuing her lawsuit.

Continued below.

I watched this video yesterday, and it shows how the DOJ and FBI have been weaponized
against anyone who speaks out against a government policy or an ideology that they
impose.

This is happening, now. Don't assume it's just an exaggeration!

Login to view embedded media
Just as in the video against the doctor, the DOJ, FBI and other government agencies
will charge individuals or groups with bogus violations of the law. It doesn't matter
to the government agency knowing they'll lose because the damage they will cause
will force others to just remain quiet.

Once you watch the video, it will become clear why they are going after Donald Trump
and how they'll go after others who don't have the financial resources he has.

Matthew 13:

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.

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Jesus often spoke in parables. It was his modus operandi.

10 Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

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Right, why? Why made it difficult for the listeners?

11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

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Spiritual truths are often mysterious compared to our everyday physical reality. Physics can be captured by a formal, unambiguous language like mathematics, but spiritual realities cannot be confined to any formal language. Jesus resorted to analogies, figures of speech, and parables to capture better spiritual truths. Moreover, Jesus used parables to test the hearts of the listeners: whether they would believe despite the difficulties.

12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

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The more you believe in Jesus, the more you will understand what he said. It was a test:

13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’

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Without a believing heart, they would not understand the parables.

14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

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Jesus spoke in Parables to fulfill the prophecy in Psalm 78:2 and Isaiah 6:9.

Why did Jesus speak in parables?

1. To fulfill the prophecies in the OT.
2. By nature, spiritual truths were often mysterious. Jesus spoke in parables because of this necessity.
3. Few people could read in Jesus's time. Jesus used parables as a mnemonic device to engage his audience. His listeners could easily remember the parables and retell them to their friends.
4. To reveal spiritual truths to those who were receptive.
5. Paradoxically, to conceal spiritual truths to those whose hearts were hardened.

Jesus used parables to sort out the believers from the unbelievers.

So how are the rest 90 % gonna get married?

Women are trying to be the man that they want, diplomas, corporate / high level management positions, self sufficient, &ct
Men have just opted out of the scene.
There is too much risk for them on many different levels. Even approaching a woman could lead to being labeled a “creep” or even as “unsolicited advancement” from the woman’s perspective. Who wants that kind of label, at Church even!
That’s where we should be looking for wives and husbands…

Are there any Bible verses where God says at what age a person is considered an adult? Or anything similar?

I got thinking about what different cultures believe on age. For example, some cultures think a 13 year old is an adult. Whereas other cultures consider 18 an adult.

I just wanted to see if God said anything in the Bible about it.

So children's hospital has pride parades in the hospital. What gay pride parades are doing in a hospital for children I will never know. Most of them haven't even hit puberty yet and in a lot of cases many many years from that.


But of course here is the MAN that has donated massive amounts of money to the hospital so it can have a gender clinic. A gender clinic in a hospital treating sick children?



But also not forget other children's hospitals have programs on how to teach your children on how to tuck their penis to not look so much like a boy



But then again this is the same group that marches in broad daylight chanting they are coming for our children.


How this is acceptable from a children's hospital is beyond me

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The Ten Commandments were known and obeyed by God’s faithful people, presumably even before the Law was given at Sinai. Later incorporated into the new covenant, they constitute the basic moral code for humanity (as further explained by Jesus) and are obeyed to demonstrate the believer’s love for God and his fellow man.

The chart below highlights instances in the New Testament where each of the Ten Commandments is reiterated or emphasised.

Please pray for Julie, that she can come to know Christ and accept him as her Lord & Savior.

I have known Julie for some years now and lately she has been struggling with her physical & mental health. She is unhappy in her life and lonely. She has never been married, nor had any children, though she is very intelligent and well educated. She has no friends or family, she had no-one to love her, apart from me and my friend Jill. She has a good government job as an accountant, but is mistreated at work. She is unloved and it's wearing her out. Her situation is very sad and her struggles are heart-breaking.

I have told her about Jesus and the hope that she can have in Christ. I posted the Gospels to her and urged her to read them so that she may come to know of God's great love for her, which is revealed in his word. Please pray that God opens Julie's heart, that she may come to see the truth in God's word and that Jesus may be revealed to her so she can be saved and loved for eternity. Pray that God calls her to his purpose! Pray that God shines his light into her darkness and gives her hope through Christ!

Thank you all for your prayers and your goodness. God bless you all.

Victor.